Currently, 23andMe's categorization system considers Ashkenazi Jews to be their own genetically distinct ethnic group.
This system is innacurate, misleading and not useful for any Ashkenazi Jews wishing to learn about the specifics of their ancestry.
Various genetic studies and other sources (including information on 23andme's very own website - https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry/the-uniqueness-of-ashkenazi-jewish-ancestry-is-important-for-health/) confirm that Ashkenazi genes can broadly be classified as part Middle Eastern, part European. Designating them as a European ethnic group (while this may be somewhat true from a cultural perspective) is an utterly misleading categorization for a ancestral report that is likely to confuse both Jews and people with Jewish ancestry alike.
Furthermore, other mixed ethnic groups such as Sephardic Jews, Mexicans, Romani etc receive no such special treatment and receive a full breakdown of their actual ancestry. While we recognize that Ashkenazi Jews largely have a homogenous mix, there are often major differences between individuals and the aforementioned issues with the current categorization fail to address these differences, with all Ashkenazi Jews being given a useless, dissapointing report of 90+% Ashkenazi ancestry.
One of the positives of the current categorization is it's ability to inform any people with Ashkenazi ancestry of said ancestry rather than being misled to think this ancestry is Levantine, Southern or Eastern European. One of the ways to get around this issue is to perhaps add a toggle, giving a further breakdown of the Ashkenazi ancestry for those who wish to see it.
Therefore, the undersigned request of 23andMe to revise their categorization of Ashkenazi Jews to such that it will reflect the origins and ancestry of each individual - Middle Eastern and European alike - rather than presenting them as one completely homogenous unmixed ethnic group.
